Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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194. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a review into the boundary expansion between Cork city and county will be undertaken (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34324/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Cork boundary alteration is the most significant of its kind undertaken in the State and represents a major reorganisation of local government in Cork. The main aim of the boundary extension was to allow the potential for further development within a new City Council area, while also incentivising higher density development and reducing the risk of sprawl. The extended City area now includes Ballincollig, Carrigrohane, Blarney, Glanmire and Cork airport and the population of the city increased by over 85,000 people.

The Local Government Act 2019 was enacted on 31 January 2019 to provide for the transfer of part of the administrative area of Cork County Council to the administrative area of Cork City and this took place when the new Councils took office after the local elections in late May 2019.

The Act also provided for the establishment of the statutory Cork Boundary Alteration Implementation Oversight Committee to oversee arrangements for the alteration of the boundary in accordance with the statutory implementation plan.

Work on finalising the transfer of functions was completed in late 2020 and both authorities have confirmed that all the actions contained in the Statutory Implementation Plan have been discharged with new service delivery models now in place in both authorities. A small number of outstanding practical issues are still being worked through by both authorities with my Department's support. The Local Government Act 2019 provides a mechanism for resolving outstanding issues up to and including a Ministerial decision.

I am satisfied that the outstanding matters can be resolved in the coming weeks and therefore, while a review to determine the overall success of the boundary extension may be considered in the future, at this stage of implementation it would be extremely premature as both councils have yet to complete a full annual cycle within their new working arrangements. It is considered beneficial, instead, to wait until both authorities have had time to settle in and until there is sufficient data for a review.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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195. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when housing adaption grants for local authorities were last reviewed. [34329/21]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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197. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the rising cost of building materials is taken into account when reviewing local authority adaption grant amounts. [34331/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 197 together.

The income limits and maximum grant amounts payable under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme were reviewed in 2013. This review, co-ordinated by the Housing Agency with the involvement of local authorities and relevant stakeholder organisations, sought to spread the benefits as widely as possible, ensuring that the scheme supported the maximum number of households. This year, my Department will begin a further review of the existing grant limits and income thresholds applicable to the grants.

Funding of €75 million is available nationally in 2021 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. This funding has increased year on year since 2014. As part of the annual budgetary process, consideration will be given to this funding in future years in line with the Programme for Government commitments and the Policy Statement on Housing Options for Our Ageing Population, which is available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/ea33c1-housing-options-for-our-ageing-population-policy-statement/.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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196. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if local authorities use nationally standardised figures for quotes on costs of grant works; and if so, the figures in this regard. [34330/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Local authorities are responsible for the detailed administration of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme for private houses, including the assessment, approval and payment of grants to applicants under the various measures.

Guidance issued by my Department recommends that local authorities assemble a schedule of standard costs for each element of works available for funding under the scheme, which accurately reflects the market costs within the local authority area. It is also recommended that local authorities should review their schedule of standardised cost on a twice yearly basis using the services of a Quantity Surveyor. The standardisation of costs is intended to improve consistency and have a cost stabilisation effect on grant levels in each local authority area. Recognising however that individual homes may differ local authorities can, up to the maximum grant caps, approve a grant in excess of their own standard costings if the local authority feels a higher cost is justified.